Marriage is Murder

Brian finished his breakfast as Khaat finished hers. He picked up their dishes and took them into the kitchen. He refilled her coffee and his before looking at Robert. "I'm ready whenever you are," he said.

"Then lets get to it. Khaat, no buggering off without us," Robert said. "Stay here and either enjoy being a mom or plan your wedding. Find some way to behave yourself." He motioned Brian to follow him downstairs. Slightly irritated with her father she flicked her wand at the basement door and cast a spell downstairs.

"What did you do?" her mother frowned.

"Khaat Karina Lupin!" her father bellowed. "Enough of that!" The next thing she knew, he'd flipped her spell backwards on her. Up from the basement came thousands of pairs of knitting needles, all busy clicking and clacking as they worked furiously knitting various projects, all hanging in mid air as they worked at a feverish pitch. The noise was almost deafening.

"You didnt' try to cast those on him down there, did you?" her mother had to almost yell over the noise.

"I most certainly did," Khaat replied, shrugging.

"And all he did was send them up here for us to deal with," Kate laughed.

"Two can do that," Khaat said, sending them right back downstairs. A moment later, they came back, only twice pairs of knitting needles as many as before.

"How long will you play this game with him?" her mother sighed.

"Until I win," Khaat said. Kate sighed, knowing that could be a very long time indeed.

Steven shook his head and chuckled " This could take a while " he said and felt Cassidy chuckle next to him. Cassidy stood up and moved to her room taking out a small book she walked back and sat with Steven.

"This is a photo album I found among my fathers things, its the only thing that's not rented or pawned " she said opening the first page to a rather yellow stained picture of a small girl, she stood looking up at the person taking the photo but was not smiling. " that's me aged five, I hated him even back then" she said softly and lent on Steven as he held her close. Cassidy smiled at him " its all right I'm over him hes gone and can't do any one any harm again" she said turning the page she showed him a pic of a woman thin and blond haired holding a baby her eyes sparkled with promise as she smiled softly. " that's the only picture I have of my mother" she said softly and looked at him.

Khaat was glad Cassidy at least had pictures of her family. Brian didn't have pictures of his parents. Khaat didnt' even know if any existed. Then it occured to her. A new idea.

"Angus," she called.

"Yo," he replied, coming in from the kitchen.

"Got anything on your schedule today?" she asked.

"Um..cooking, laundry, baking, mowing the lawn, weeding the flowerbeds, taking care of nine babies, grocery shopping...the usual. What did you have in mind?" he asked.

"I need a favor. But it might mean I'd have to drag you away from all of those chores you love so much," she said.

"Drag away," he laughed. "Please. Drag away. Where are we going?"

"Not me. You. I want you to make a short trip for me. I want you to go see Kieran. Maybe Fiona."

"Kieran? Fi? And exactly what am I doing?"

"You're going to go get me my wedding gift to Brian," she said.

"I'll do anything you say if you get rid of those damned knitting needles," he said.

"Oh. Those. Those go back downstairs," she flicked them back down to her father's office. Kate laughed out loud.

"I give them five seconds down there," Kate laughed.

Steven chuckled and looked at the photo's she had in her book one was a faded image if two people sitting together, though faded he could make out they both didn't smile but looked at the person taking the photo. Cassidy sighed " that's the last photo that was taken of my mother father said she was dead but for months I felt she was alive, nowadays I don't think she is , if she was she would have at least tried to look for me" Steven nodded and held her.

Steven kissed her head gently and closed her book " enough of the past " he said and looked at Khaat and Angus " want me to go along too?" he asked Angus standing up and walking over he shook his head at the noise of the knitting needles " I hope a few of those are knitting earmuffs " he said and chuckled as he rubbed his ears , he was happy when they headed back down to the basement and glanced at Kate when she said they would be back in five second " more like two" he said.

Steven was closer to right than Kate. The knitting needles came back, but Robert had doubled them again. Now there was barely any room to move among them. He had doubled them twice now. And the noise made most of them put their hands over their ears to muffle the noise.

"Oh no you don't," Khaat said, sending them right back downstairs. Kate laughed out loud.

"You really are his daughter. You do realize this could go on forever, don't you?" Kate said.

"No, it won't. I'm about to amp it up a bit," Khaat grinned.

"Well, this ought to be interesting," Kate said.

"Steven," Angus said. "Let's go to Colorado. How much you want to bet we still hear that damned knitting in Colorado too? How quick can we go?"

"Escape while you can," Kate laughed.

Steven chuckled and covered his ears as they reappeared he looked at Angus as Khaat sent them back down " as quick as you can say, scat cat" he said and chuckled moving next to him " you doing the honers or am I?" he asked but then he chose that he would " ok I will, I am not hanging around for the end of this " he said and ported them to Colorado.

Cassidy chuckled and re opened her album she took out a picture of her and Clay and threw it in the fire then replacing it with one of her and Steven smiling together her tummy still rounded with Fallon but then she magicked a photo of her and smiled a she glanced at Khaat " time to add to this, can't look back on the past and grieve" she smiled " moving on to our future" she said closing it and placing it on a shelf close beside her.

"I know how that feels," Khaat said. "I put my pictures of Rob away. I didn't throw them away, but I did put them away. Maybe someday I'll burn them too. I dont' know...."

Just then the knitting came back, doubled yet one more time. Khaat flicked her wand at the knitting needles and transfigured each knitting needle to a ringing cell phone and sent all of them back downstairs. In a moment, the noise totally stopped.

Kate looked and waited. Nothing happened. She looked at Khaat with raised eyebrows.

"My dear, I do believe you won," she laughed. "Nice. The ringing phones were a nice touch. Well done, my dear."

Brian came upstairs. He looked at Khaat. "Truce?" he asked.

""No," she said. "I want to win."

"Alright," He came over and kissed her. "You win." He accio'd a tiny box from the bedroom. "I've been waiting to give these to you, but anyone who can best Robert over noise deserves it." He handed her the little box. She opened it to find a pair of large beautiful teardrop shaped diamond stud earrings. They were clear and flawless and they glistened like sunlight.

"For me?" she asked softly.

"For you," he kissed her slowly. "Now--can I finish the budget, please?"

"You can. Daddy might be another subject."

"Give me 30 minutes," he said. "Please." He went downstairs again, laughing.

Cassidy chuckled again as the sound of the phones dissapeared and walked over to marvel at the earrings. " There perfect Khaat " she said and smiled at her " your a lucky woman to have such a thoughtful man " she said and glanced at Kate " ow Steven can be too, when he wants " she said and chuckled as Brian headed back down. She heard a baby started to cry and sighed " one of yours or mine?" she said and smiled at her as she moved to her bed room finding it was Fallon she changed her and lay her back in hr bassinet singing a soft lullaby to get her to sleep again " some times I wonder if she can sense that Steven is not here " she said walking back threw and looking at Kate and Khaat.

"They're beautiful," she said softly. "I don't know if I've ever been treated so well in my life. I know he always keeps some little surprise tucked away someplace and he just waits for whtever he thinks is the right moment to give them to me."

"He loves you a lot," Kate said. "You might as well get used to it because he would give you the whole world if he knew how to do it."

"I believe he would," she said. She saw Cassidy go respond to Fallon. Khaat knew it was Fallon because she knew the sounds of her own children by heart. She knew the sound was not her children, but Cassidy had responded quickly, so Khaat had not interfered.

"I don't know," Kate said to Cassidy. "Even wizarding children dont show their abilities as newborns--or at least if they do its a temporary thing. Their powers come on slowly and grow as they grow. If she misses Steven its about the time he and you spend with Fallon. Not because of magic. Thats my best guess."

Cassidy nodded " Ow I know its the bonding thing, she's bonded with Steven and I " she said as if realizing it and sat down looking at Kate hoping she was right " I don't want to know what ability she will have if any, He..." she gave a sigh " He didn't say if he had any and he never used magic apart from aperation in front of me" she looked at Kate " and I'm not worried, if she does we'll deal with it when she's older " Cassidy smiled as she accioed a cup of tea for herself and sat back in her chair .